CONFIDING KESTREL

A confiding male kestrel perched over the footpath near Feldy View on Wednesday 2nd. 

A handful of Mediterranean gulls were along the Strood channel on Wednesday.

At least fifteen Mediterranean gulls were also noted on Wednesday in the nearby grass field, although there were no doubt others present in the long grass among the feeding flock of black-headed gulls.

Ten brent geese, sparrowhawk and two teal were seen along the Strood channel, a rock pipit flew across calling, while 300 golden plover circled over Feldy Marsh. 

Earlier on Wednesday morning two flocks of redwing totalling 65 birds were seen flying west over the Firs Chase caravan park, while two flocks totalling about sixty siskins also flew west near the same caravan park.

Twelve Sandwich terns and several brent geese were seen off the Esplanade on Wednesday by Martin Cock.

At Cudmore Grove two distant gannets off Colne Point were seen on Wednesday by Andy Field, also 30 brent geese, 30 mallard, four teal and two Sandwich terns.

Along the Strood on Tuesday 1st, there were three Brent geese, four teal, two avocets, 200 golden plover, four ringed plover, 36 lapwing, 50 Mediterranean gulls, sparrowhawk, 15 swallows, five house martins, 15 meadow pipits, 20 linnets and also 20 goldfinches near Feldy View.

On Monday 30th two flocks of pintail totalling 70 birds flew south-west over the Firs Chase caravan park, also near the caravan park were 50 goldfinches, three chiffchaffs, blackcap and sparrowhawk here. A peregrine sat in the Strood Hill field for several minutes and then chased after some feral pigeons feeding in the fields. Two marsh harriers were also seen, one hunting over the maize field to Feldy View.

Along the Strood Channel on Monday were 14 teal, 7 avocets, while in the fields were 22 Mediterranean gulls, 30 skylarks, ten meadow pipits and thirty linnets with a Cetti's warbler calling from the dyke.

Two red squirrels were seen on Sunday 29th in the Firs Chase garden at the same time but this female  kept out of the way of the other red! The female was seen first in the garden, then shot up a nearby birch tree when a second red squirrel appeared which looked like a male. 

While the second red squirrel was hopping around the back garden for a minute or so, this female was out of the way, high up in the birch tree staring down. It stayed up there for several minutes well after the other red had disappeared into the neighbour's garden. Our other next door neighbours said they've seen three red squirrels in their garden at the same time in recent days, along with a grey squirrel too.

A red squirrel was seen running into a front garden in Firs Road on Saturday.

At East Mersea boating lake on Sunday 29th a brent goose was resting on the island in the side-lake, along with an oystercatcher. Seventeen little grebes were also seen in the side-lake.

Not many waders on the side lake during the high tide period on Sunday, although there was a sizeable roost of 170 ringed plovers with a dunlin. Seventy golden plovers were in a nearby field, six swallows, two house martins, Cetti's warbler, two chiffchaffs, 15 meadow pipits flying west, eight linnets and two kestrels.

Eighteen little egrets were at Rewsalls marsh on Sunday, ten Sandwich terns were feeding offshore, then later resting on the shingle island off Waldegraves. Ten Mediterranean gulls were seen too.

At Cudmore Grove an Arctic skua was seen by Simon Patient flying north up the river Colne past the Point early afternoon on Sunday.

A fresh looking peacock butterfly was feeding at Maydays farm on a sunny Saturday 28th. Three speckled woods and a small white were also seen, as were migrant hawker and common darter.

Birds at Maydays included a raven heard calling on Langenhoe marsh and then seen to land on top of one of the new shooting butts, a small passage of 15 buzzards seen over Langenhoehall marsh and a hobby chasing after some of the flock of 30 linnets, great crested grebe, nine golden plover. Also a wheatear, two stonechats, 60 meadow pipits heading north-west, ten swallows and five house martins. Three common seals were resting on saltmarsh in the Pyefleet. 

The weather has been too unsettled for much mothing, although this Feathered Ranunculus was seen among eight other species on a chilly and clear night on 28th.